Family Ties
by Snow fun
Summary: Separated from her mother at two days old, Midnight spends ten years being raised alongside Knockout and Dragstrip's son Durango. When Arcee is hired as a new teacher at the local school, Midnight and her friends question who her parents really are. After discovering her real name is Teal, and that she is the daughter of Ratchet and Arcee, will she stay with them or go to Knockout?
1. Chapter 1

Note: All characters are owned by Hasbro Studios

I adopted this story from Greendogg, so it is basically hers!

* * *

><p>Friday, April 23rd- 7:30am<p>

It was another Friday morning in the small town of Jasper, Nevada. It was rather clear day,aside from a dog barking in the distance the only sound that could be heard in a nearby cul-de-sac were birds singing. Sitting in the driver's seat of an olive green jeep was Bulkhead. Currently, he had his head back against the head rest and was snoring loudly. He had arrived at Miko's house earlier than usual and was waiting outside. Apart from the turquoise blue eyes, he could easily pass as being an African American having a dark brown complexion and short black hair. With his gray basketball shorts, white nikes and number 07 olive green jersey and height; he could easy be mistaken for someone who played professional basketball.

"Has anyone seen my backpack?" she asked.

Bulkhead snorted as he woke up, hearing Miko's voice coming from inside the house.

"Wha?" he sputtered and looked around.

"Oh,"

He then realized where he was.

"See you after school." Said Miko before slamming the front door.

"Morning Bulkhead, you ready?" she asked, getting in the car.

Bulkehad yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes.

"As I'll ever be, Miko." Was his reply.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Jack was also on his way to school. So far this particular morning seemed like any other except for one noticeable difference. Jack stepped out into the garage. With his backpack over his shoulder and helmet in one hand, he was ready to go.

"Arcee, you up yet?" he asked.

"Right here," she replied.

Looking to the left, Jack noticed her sitting on the old tan colored couch, ready for the day. Currently she was wearing a cobalt blue t- shirt with a matching denim jacket, dark blue jeans and slate grey and white all star sneakers. On both hands she wore a pair of ebony black fingerless gloves. Her long black hair, sky blue eyes and olive-toned skin was still the same but her slim athletic build had changed a few months ago.

"Wow, you're really…"

Arcee gave him a rather annoyed look.

"Don't say it, I had to set Wheeljack straight, two days ago." She said to him.

Jack looked at her nervously.

"Sorry, but it's kind of hard to miss." He admitted.

Letting out a loud sigh, Arcee realized what he meant. The past nine months, things had changed.

"I know," she said before looking down at her stomach which was rather pronounced.

"And I'm due in a week."

Currently, Arcee was close to the end of her pregnancy, while she had been excited about her pending motherhood, the last few weeks had taken a toll on her as well as everyone else that knew her. Including Jack.

"Yikes, well c'mon. I gotta get to school, if I'm late again, I'll be in detention for sure." Said Jack.

"Got'cha," Arcee replied with a nod.

She groaned as she stood up.

"You ok?" Jack asked.

Ever since finding out she was pregnant, Jack had been concerned about her.

"Yeah, just peachy for someone carrying the extra weight of a fetus." Said Arcee.

"Among other things…" Jack added.

Arcee gave him an odd look, making the boy nervous.

"What? It was covered in the school's Health and Biology classes." Jack sputtered.

"Mm-hmm," Arcee muttered.

"Let's just go already."

"O…k." was all Jack could say.

During the ride to school, things were quiet for the moment. Normally, the two friends had a conversation of some sort but due to Arcee's moodswings, Jack decided to keep the small talk to a minimum.

"So, you gonna be here?" he asked, regarding being picked up after school.

Arcee removed her helmet and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Well, I've got nothing better to do… so, I'll be around." She replied.

Because of her pregnancy, Arcee had a few restrictions on where she could go. While she and Jack met up with the others at HQ like they did every day; Arcee stayed behind when the rest of the group went out. Jack, Miko and Raf were often there keep her company when Ratchet and the others weren't around. At first, Arcee didn't mind being on maternity leave, but now seeing the same four walls whether it was at the Darby residence or HQ was starting to get the better of her. Although she had her moments where she became restless and wanted to venture out, Arcee knew that it was not the best idea.

Jack smiled briefly.

"'Kay, see ya then."

Putting his helmet aside, he proceeded to get off the motorcycle. As he started to walk towards the school Jack thought of something and turned around.

"Arcee, are you sure you'll be ok? 'cause my Mom said…" Jack was then cut off.

"Jack, relax I'm fine. Trust me," Arcee assured him.

She then gritted her teeth when she felt something press against her left side.

Jack raised his eyebrows, looking concerned.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, she's kicking." Arcee answered.

"Oh," Jack sighed, wiping some sweat off his forehead.

"My ribcage," Arcee finished.

Her unborn daughter had been rather active that morning.

Jack frowned.

"Ouch," was all he could say.

He and Arcee were quickly alerted by the sound of the bell ringing. Several students were also rushing towards the door in an effort to get to class.

"Gotta run… bye." Said Jack before he left.

"See you," Arcee called.

She watched him until he was no longer in sight. Exhaling loudly, Arcee glanced her stomach, once more.

"What am I gonna do with you?" she asked.

As if answering Arcee's question, her unborn daughter kicked once more. This made her mother smile.

"Aww, I can't stay mad at you." Said Arcee, placing her right hand on her stomach.

"Only one more week to go…"

Arcee froze and thought about what she just said. Her sky blue eyes bucked.

"What am I saying?!"

Later that day…

"Anyone seen Jack and Arcee?" Miko asked.

She, Bulkhead, Raf and Bumblebee had arrived at HQ or 'the clubhouse' as Miko called it at their usual time. Jack and Arcee on the other hand, seemed to be running late. Hearing Miko's question, Raf looked up from the comicbook he had been reading.

"They should have been here by now."

"Give 'em time, guys. Remember Arcee's condition." Said Bulkhead.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out.

"What about my condition, Bulkhead?" Arcee asked with her arms folded in front of her chest.

Bulkhead nearly fell over when he spotted her.

"N-n-nothing, you uh…"

"Look really good for someone who's thirty-nine weeks along." Miko finished.

"Thanks, I guess." Arcee said in a dull tone.

"So, did Jack and I miss anything?"

"No more than usual," Bulkhead replied, grinning nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

Arcee raised an eyebrow,

"Uh-huh…sure thing."

She turned around looking at Jack who had gotten off her bike.

"Coming Jack?"

"I'll be there in a minute." Was his reply.

Arcee had a skeptical look on her face but didn't say anything before she went off to find Ratchet. Once she was out of earshot range, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Bumblebee who had been quiet for the longest spoke.

"That was a close one."

"You said a mouthful, Bee." Bulkhead agreed.

"Jack, she goes home with you. How in the world do you handle it?" Miko asked.

"Arcee? Simple, I give her space…" Jack answered, he looked down the hall then at his friends.

"A lot of space, mind you." He added.

Bumblebee snickered.

"Uh, yeah that's pretty obvious."

"I think all of us will be glad when she finally has that kid." said Bulkhead.

"Yeah, I heard her talking to my Mom last night, she's definitely ready for this pregnancy to be over." Jack agreed.

"After all that's happened, I am never having kids." Miko announced.

"I don't think that's a decision any of us will object to." Said Jack.

"Nope," Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Raf replied at the same time.

Meanwhile…

While the average person would've been driven crazy by the long hallways at HQ; Arcee wasn't. Over time, she had memorized which hallway went where and didn't take long for her to find Ratchet's lab. She found him sitting at his desk with his back facing her. Arcee smiled, recognizing his orange and white long sleeve shirt with the EKG line on the sleeves. His long khaki pants and brown leather shoes, gave him the appearance of a college professor. Arcee stood in the doorway for a few minutes watching him type at his computer before she spoke.

"Ratchet,"

"What do you want? I'm busy." He replied.

"Ever for me?" Arcee asked.

Ratchet stopped typing and turned around.

"Oh, it's you."

Arcee nodded.

Removing his tortoise shell reading glasses, Ratchet got up and walked over to Arcee. While normally kept to himself, Ratchet couldn't help but smile anytime he was around his mate.

"So, how have you been?" he asked.

"The same," Arcee replied before she sat down in a chair near Ratchet's desk. Letting out a loud sigh she glanced at her stomach.

"I'll be glad when this pregnancy is over." She admitted.

"I think everyone else will too." Said Ratchet.

Arcee raised an eyebrow.

"Have I really been that difficult to put up with?" she asked.

"Ask Bulkhead and Bumblebee, they can answer that better than I could." Ratchet replied.

Arcee snickered.

"Trust me, I tried and couldn't get a word out of either of them edgewise."

Ratchet shock his head.

"Typical," he sighed.

He had been around Bulkhead and Bumblebee long enough to know the two had tried to be careful about what they said; mostly to avoid hurting Arcee's feelings.

"Just think, this time next week; we'll be parents." Ratchet added.

"Ye-yeah, we will." Arcee stuttered.

"You all right?" Ratchet asked as he sat down in a chair next to her.

"I'm nervous, Ratchet." She confessed.

He raised an eyebrow at this.

"About what?"

"When we first found out, you said there was a five percent chance something could go wrong. I've already two close calls where I almost lost our daughter." Arcee explained.

"But you didn't, besides Red Alert gave you a full exam earlier this week. Both of you are fine." Ratchet pointed out.

"Try not to think about it."

"I have, really… but I just can't help myself." Said Arcee.

Several months ago, Fixit, a friend of Ratchet's had told both of them the chances of the two being parents were slim mostly due to their ages. Arcee and Ratchet were both taken aback by the news. Back home, Arcee had assumed she would start a family at some point but at the same time, felt that she wasn't ready for the responsibility of being a mother. By the time she and Cliffjumper came to Jasper, Nevada; Arcee dropped the idea. It wasn't until after a year of living with Jack and June that she changed her mind.

"I understand, I'm just as concerned as you are but…it'll work out." Said Ratchet.

Arcee smiled and nuzzled him.

"So… got any names picked out?" Ratchet asked.

Arcee sighed loudly.

"No, not yet…Miko suggested we name her Stella, I like the name but not for our daughter."

"Jack and Raf have any suggestions?" Ratchet continued.

Arcee ran her left hand through her silky hair.

"Nova, was Jack's suggestion. Raf and Bumblebee liked the name Comet but dropped it when Bulkhead reminded them our daughter isn't a puppy."

Ratchet snickered.

"Any of the guys got some bright ideas?" Arcee asked.

Ratchet wiped off his reading glasses before he spoke.

"Bulkhead suggested the name Tira."

Arcee raised an eyebrow, giving Ratchet an 'Oh really?' look.

Suppressing a laugh, Ratchet turned away for a moment.

"That's the same look I gave him." He said.

"What about Jazz?" Arcee asked, she shifted her position slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable.

"What do you think of Mercedes?" Ratchet asked.

"There is no way we are naming our girl after a car. Tell him he can recommend that one to Knockout." Arcee replied.

Ratchet smiled.

"Will do,"

"Ironhide and Wheeljack say anything?" Arcee asked.

Ratchet smoothed a few strands of white and rusty red hair sticking up near his forehead.

"Two words… home wrecker." Was his reply.

Arcee scoffed.

"Why am I not surprised?"

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Elita and Chromia didn't have any bright ideas either." Said Arcee.

"Never thought coming up with a name would be so hard."

"We'll think of something," Ratchet assured her.

Arcee sighed.

"Yeah,"

She snapped out of her thought when she noticed something.

"What?" Ratchet asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arcee laughed.

"I think someone's trying to get our attention."

She grabbed Ratchet's right hand and placed it on her stomach. He smiled when he felt his daughter's movement.

"She hears us talking." He pointed out.

Arcee nodded.

"And knows our voices,"

Arcee then put her left hand next to Ratchet's right.

"Won't be long now." She said to him.

At that moment, he pulled Arcee closer which startled her but within a few seconds she relaxed. It wasn't long before their moment was interrupted by the click and flash of a camera.

"Got it!" said a familiar voice.

Arcee and Ratchet quickly turned around, obviously startled.

"Miko!" the two of them shouted.

"That's going in the album for sure." She said before running off down the hall.

Ratchet quickly stood up, ready to go after her but stopped when Arcee placed a hand on his right shoulder.

"Eh, let it slide this time." She said.

"All right," Ratchet sighed and sat back down.

Later that day, the rest of the team gathered in the main room. Arcee and Jack noticed the Jet twins, Fire and Storm both had on backpacks along with sleeping bags. While both of them had a light skin tone and blue eyes, Jetstorm had short black hair while his brother, Jetfire was blond. The fact the two wore different colored shirts made also made it easy to tell them apart.

"You guys going to summer camp?" Jack asked.

"Certainly looks like it." Said Arcee.

"Pfft, no." Said Jetfire.

"Not even close," said Jetstorm.

Just then, a tall slim figure with tan colored skin, white sweat shirt and matching pants walked up to them. A white newsboy hat and large headphones kept his dark hair hidden.

"I hear ya boys, spending a week in the redwoods near Sacramento isn't my idea of camping either." Said Jazz who walked also carrying a backpack and sleeping bag.

"Eh, I'm sure this time tomorrow night; you'll be sitting around a fire telling stories and roasting marshmallows." Bumblebee joked.

"Very funny, Bee." Said Jazz.

Next thing Bumblebee knew, he felt someone grab him, pull back the hood on his black and yellow striped jacket and playfully ruffle his short black hair. A rather tall woman with a fair skin tone, semi-long dark brown hair and light blue eyes smiled at him.

"You're just full of jokes aren't ya, boy?" said a female voice.

"Hey! Let go." Bumblebee sputtered.

"Knock it off, Chromia." Said Arcee, recognizing her sister by her pastel blue quarter length shirt, blue jeans and white air Jordon shoes.

"Aw c'mon, sister," Chromia groaned.

"Have you lost your sense of humor?" Elita asked.

She got between Arcee and Chromia, her salmon pink and white argyle shirt was such a contrast to her sisters' blue outfits. Like Arcee, Elita had an olive toned complexion and long black hair.

"Elita, please…" Arcee muttered.

"Uh, I hate to break up the family reunion, but Optimus said we roll out in five minutes." Said Ironhide.

"Noted," Elita replied.

Chromia and Elita then hugged their sister.

"Take care of yourself, Sis." Said Chromia.

"And stay out of trouble." Elita added.

"Don't I always?" Arcee asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Arcee, I'm serious. I know how you are." Said Elita.

"Yeah, you hate looking at the same four walls." Chromia added.

Being the oldest, Elita was often the one who kept an eye on Arcee and Chromia. Both she and Chromia knew Arcee hated being confined for long periods of time and there had been times where she would try to leave or escape.

"I'll be fine, really." Arcee insisted.

"Riight," Chromia said with a smile.

She then walked over to Bulkhead and Jack.

"Make sure she doesn't get hurt." Chromia whispered.

"Got it," said Jack.

"See ya in a week," Chromia called out before going to catch up with the rest of the team.

Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Red Alert were the only ones who were staying. Jack, Miko and Raf found out a small group of Decepticons had been spotted in Northern California and may have been responsible for the recent wildfire outside Sonoma. So far, forty acres had burned and some residents had been evacuated. As the team got ready to leave, Ratchet and Arcee had a few minutes to talk. She looked at him with a rather sad expression on her face.

"Do you really have to leave?" she asked.

"Sorry but yes. I'll only be gone a week." Ratchet answered.

"We'll be here when you get back." Said Arcee.

Ratchet frowned at this.

"We ? what are you talking about?"

He then glanced at Arcee's stomach and realized what she meant.

"Oh, now I get it."

The two kissed briefly and smiled at each other.

"I'll miss you," said Ratchet.

"I'll miss you more," Arcee replied.

Just then, they heard someone clear their throat.

"Uh, excuse me…"

Ratchet and Arcee looked away and noticed a tall figure approaching them. He had a fair skin tone, aqua blue eyes and dark hair with some white around the edges. Currently, he was wearing a white, red and green plaid shirt and dark pants.

"Yes?" Ratchet replied sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Since when did your lives become a romantic comedy?" Wheeljack asked.

"Get out of here," Ratchet answered.

Lately, the guy had been working his and Arcee's nerves; mostly by cracking jokes.

Wheeljack tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"Get out of here," Ratchet continued.

"Wha-what'd I say?" Wheeljack stuttered.

It didn't take long for Ironhide to step in.

"Leave 'em alone, J." he said.

Wheeljack scoffed and started walk away.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Hey, do us all a favor and loose the plaid. It's just not you." Said Arcee.

"She's got a point, there." Ironhide agreed.

"Cork it, Ironhide!" Wheeljack exclaimed.

Ironhide looked back at Arcee.

"Eh, don't sweat it, he'll be outta your hair for a week." The red head assured her.

"Though now we're stuck with him." Ratchet pointed out.

Ironhide pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Swell…" he groaned.

"Let's get a move on, guys." Chromia said to them.

Arcee sighed.

"Guess this is goodbye, for now at least."

"The week will go by fast," said Ratchet.

"Yeah, I suppose." Arcee replied.

"If anything happens…" Ratchet was cut off.

"Relax, I've got Red Alert on speed dial. Our daughter's not coming anytime soon… I hope." Said Arcee.

"Yo, Doc!" Jazz called.

"I've got to go, I'll try to be back in time." Ratchet said to Arcee before giving her a hug.

After everyone had said their goodbyes, the team set out for Northern California.

"Let's roll out!" said Optimus, and with that, the group left.

"You ok, Arcee?" Miko asked after a moment of silence.

Arcee snapped out of her thought and turned around.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine."

She yawned for a moment.

"Just need some rest."

"No problem," said Jack.

"We've got band practice, anyway." Miko pointed out.

"Yeah, Miko signed us up for the school talent show." Raf explained.

Arcee laughed.

"I'd like to see that,"

"Well, if all else fails my Mom said she'd record it." Said Jack.

Although the talent show wasn't until next month, Jack knew that Arcee more than likely wouldn't venture out that much after giving birth and caring for her daughter.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Arcee replied with a smile.

"If you need us, we'll be up on the roof…that leak isn't gonna fix itself." Said Bulkhead.

"You got that right," Bumblebee agreed.

"You sure you won't be lonely at the top ?" Arcee joked.

"Ok, very funny." Bulkhead said in a dull tone.

"C'mon, we better get started." Miko added.

"Same with us." Said Bulkhead.

"Later," Raf said before they went their separate ways.

"Yeah, see you." Arcee sighed.

She then went over to the couch and sat down.

"Ok, great…"

Arcee glanced at her distended midsection and grinned for a second. Stretching out on the couch she checked her surroundings making sure no one was around. Seeing that she was alone, Arcee closed her eyes and within a few moments, she was asleep. The next day was no different than yesterday afternoon. Jack, Miko and Raf were busy working on their routine for the talent show. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were almost done with patching up the roof with some additional help from Red Alert. Because she was in the last trimester of her pregnancy, Arcee was less active than she used to be. Feeling restless, Arcee got up; she had been catnapping for a while now.

She then noticed a post-it note on the coffee table near the couch.

"What's this?"

Arcee then picked up the note and read it.

Went to town to get some things for movie night,

See you later.

"Ok, that would explain why it's so quiet." Arcee concluded.

Letting out a loud sigh, she sat there trying to think of something to do. It was obvious she was bored, after a few minutes of staring at the controls for Raf's playstation she stood up.

"That's it, I need some air."

Arcee then went over to her bike and stared at it. She wondered if going out was a good idea in her condition. The femme shrugged her shoulders, she was an adult, and she could handle it, right?

"Eh, I'll be ok…I won't be gone that long." She told herself.

Arcee then noticed a sky blue backpack hanging on a hook in a corner. She had it for a while and hardly left HQ without it.

"Can't forget this," she said, grabbing the bag of the hook. Arcee then got on her motorcycle, after putting on her helmet she rode off.

Meanwhile…

"You guys pick out a movie yet?" Jack asked.

Currently, the small group of friends were at Blockbuster, getting movies to watch later.

"Found one!" said Raf.

Jack looked at the cover on the DVD and laughed.

"Cars… why am I not surprised?"

"Bumblebee's idea, don't ask." Raf replied.

"I'll be in the new release section." Said Miko.

"Don't take too long, we gotta pick up the pizza at Metro's." Jack reminded her.

"Got it!" Miko replied.

Just then, Jack thought of something.

"Wait a second…"

"Yeah?" Miko asked.

"We left Arcee all alone." Jack pointed out.

"So what ? Jack, she's a grown woman, she can take care of herself." Said Miko.

"Miko's right, uh… you don't think she'd do anything crazy, do you?" Raf asked.

The three of them looked at each other, but the silence only lasted a few seconds.

"Nah!"

While Jack, Miko and Raf went on about their day, Arcee had ventured out to a scenic route on a few miles away from Jasper. Unlike the rest of her team, she wasn't one who liked to be tied down. Her friend, Cliffjumper was the same way, the two of them enjoyed being out in the open. Stopping near a tree lined path, Arcee removed her helmet and got off her motorcycle.

"Phew! Glad to be out of there." She said, before she threw back her long black hair.

Grabbing her backpack, she walked along the path, taking in the scenery. Arcee looked over her shoulder once in a while, making sure she was alone. When she saw that nobody was following her, she relaxed and continued on her way. Being pregnant, she paced herself and took short breaks. After a while she came to an overlook which had a breathtaking view of the mountains. The view reminded her of the time, her team had been to Seattle and saw Mount Rainier. There was a large snow cap at the top with several pines and other ever green trees on the lower slopes.

"Now this is more like it." Arcee sighed, she was certainly enjoying the view.

It didn't take her long to realize just how much time she had spent out on her own.

"I better get back, before the others find out I left." Arcee said to herself.

As she made her way back, Arcee was startled by the sound of thunder.

"Ohh, c'mon." she groaned.

Arcee knew she not only had to get back before her friends and teammates did but also before it started raining. Halfway down the trail, she caught herself before she fell over.

"Whoa, I really should pace myself."

Continuing on, Arcee stopped in her tracks when she felt some sharp pains in her sides and lower back.

"What was that?"

Arcee clenched her teeth when she felt more pain, then it dawned on her what was going on.

"No! stay in there…I mean it."

She knew in her current condition, there was no way she'd make it back to Jasper. Arcee began to pant, the contractions she felt only meant one thing… she was going to give birth! Arcee shook her head and tried to keep going. She knew having her offspring out in the open was not the best idea. Running out of options, Arcee had to think of something and fast. She spotted a cavern not far away that seemed like an ideal hiding place. Once inside, Arcee collapsed on the cave floor, panting heavily. The cavern was rather small and dark aside from light coming from the entrance and a hole in the roof on the far end.

"I should call for help."

Arcee tapped the comm device in her ear, hoping her teammates would hear her.

"Bulkhead, Red Alert, this is Arcee…I could really use some help, I think I'm about to…" Arcee stopped short when she heard static.

"Bulkhead? Red Alert? Hello? Anyone there?" Arcee called, she hung up after a minute.

"That's just great, I'm out of range."

The femme yelled as she felt another contraction, they were getting closer together. Arcee lowered her head and sighed.

"Guess I'm on my own." She concluded. Leaning against the cave wall, she continued to pant and prepared herself. Arcee looked outside and noticed it had started to rain. Although she was worried about Jack and others noticing she was gone, she also hoped they would find her.

Back at HQ, the group of friends were in for quite a surprise when they walked in.

"The weather out there is unbelievable." Said Jack.

"Yeah, good think we got all that out of the way." Bulkhead agreed.

"I was afraid I'd have to wash my hair out… again." Said Red Alert, who removed the hood from her jacket; revealing her tan skin tone and semi long braided dark hair.

"Uh, hate to interrupt guys, can we please get this over with? The pizza's getting cold." Bumblebee pointed out.

"No problem, Bee…" said Raf.

"I'll go tell Arcee, we're here; you guys start without me." Jack offered before he left the room.

"Arcee, we're back…" he called.

"Arcee? It's me, Jack…"

He went her room and didn't find any sign of her. Jack panicked and ran down the hall.

"Guys, I can't find Arcee." He announced.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere," said Red Alert.

"I don't think so, she's not in her room." Jack answered.

Bulkhead's eyes bucked.

"Guys, search party now…"

They all got up and decided to look around.

"You too, Bumblebee," said Bulkhead.

"Aww," he groaned before putting down a slice of peperoni pizza. The group split up and searched the building, so far nothing turned up.

After half an hour of searching, they all regrouped.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

"Nope, checked the basement, the roof, even the storage room." Bulkhead explained.

"She's not in Ratchet's lab either," said Raf.

"This is weird, it's almost like Arcee's not here anymore." Said Bumblebee.

"Guys! Arcee's gone!" Miko exclaimed as she ran into the room followed by Red Alert.

"Miko's right, we couldn't find her bike anywhere."

"Wait a minute, you don't think she went out on her own do you?" Raf asked, scratching his head.

"Raf, this is Arcee we're talking about, she'd hike from here to Niagara Falls if you let her." Said Miko.

"Have to agree with Miko on that one." Said Jack.

"In that case, we better find her; she's close to her due date." Red Alert pointed out.

"So?" Bumblebee asked, tilting his head.

Miko groaned.

"Don't you get it?! If Arcee is close to her due date, she could have this kid any day now."

"All the more reason why need to find her." Said Jack.

"Let's roll, Team." Bulkhead told them.

And with that, the six of them left to find their friend.

Meanwhile, things for Arcee weren't getting any better. She had started to sweat and was in a great deal of pain. The femme hoped Jack and the others would find her soon. Right now, she could really use Red Alert's help.

"Could this get any worse?" she asked herself.

Next thing Arcee knew, she noticed a puddle near where she sat. Right of the bat, she knew there wasn't a leak in the roof of the cave. Her water broke.

"Ohh, not now" she groaned.

Arcee glanced at her stomach placing her left hand on it. Despite the fact she was hurting badly, the mother-to-be smiled.

"You'll be out soon, little one." She said softly.

Arcee stopped smiling and groaned when she started to feel some strong labor pains. She changed position in an effort to get more comfortable. Arcee gulped nervously, she knew pretty soon she'd have to start pushing.

Hours later…

It was now late in the afternoon, Jack, Miko and Raf had been out searching for Arcee with the help of their friends. Jack had texted his Mom letting her know what happened. After getting off her shift at the hospital, June pulled up in the drive way and got out of the car. They all agreed to meet up at Jack's house until they could figure out what to do next.

"Did you find her?" she asked.

Raf sighed.

"No," he said.

"We looked everywhere," said Bulkhead.

"This isn't like Arcee to go off somewhere without tell us." Red Alert pointed out.

"Mom, you don't think she got hurt do you?" Jack asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm sure Arcee's somewhere dry and out of this weather…she couldn't have gone far." June answered trying to assure her son.

Meanwhile back in the cavern, Arcee was exhausted, a few contractions and hours of labor later, she had given birth. After catching her breath, she took a moment to look at her daughter. The newborn had been cleaned off and wrapped up in a small towel. Aside from being a little underweight, she seemed to be healthy. Her lungs were also developed enough for her to breathe without any problems.

"Hi girl," Arcee greeted her.

At that moment, her daughter whimpered. Being only ten minutes old, the outside world was something new to her.

"Shh, it's ok… I'm here." Arcee assured her, pulling her daughter close.

She quickly recognized her mother's voice and calmed down within seconds. Arcee gasped when she noticed the newborn's eyes started to open. The very first thing she saw was her mother's face. She whined fearfully. Arcee noticed a resemblance between her and her daughter. The girl had silky black hair and an olive tone complexion just like hers.

"I'm your mother," Arcee told her with a smile.

The newborn squeaked in reply; feeling less nervous.

"You're so small," Arcee pointed out.

"Ratchet's going to be surprised when he sees you… come to think of it, my friends will too."

Just then Arcee thought of something.

"Hey, you still need a name."

She paused for a moment as she tried to think of something. Arcee glanced at her daughter who was currently looking at her new surroundings.

"What am I going to call you?" Arcee wondered.

She noticed her daughter's eye color was a mix between hers and Ratchet's. The newborn's eyes were a light shade of teal with a fuchsia colored ring around her pupils. Just then, Arcee had idea.

"Wait a second… that's what I'll name you… Teal."

At that moment, the newborn, glanced at her mother.

Arcee giggled.

"You like that?" she asked, getting a small yelp in reply.

"Ok, from now on, that's what I'll call you."

Teal let out a yawn and rested her head on Arcee's chest. Hearing her mother's heartbeat relaxed her.

"Welcome to the world, Teal." Said Arcee.

She continued to smile at her, despite all the pain she had endured it was worth it. Arcee watched her daughter who was tired after a long day of…well… being born. It wasn't long before Arcee noticed just how exhausted she really was. Her muscles were sore and after giving birth, all she wanted to was rest apart from caring for her baby. She was obviously forming a maternal bond with Teal.

Arcee was alerted by another yawn she glanced at Teal who had started to close her eyes. She nuzzled her affectionately and kissed her forehead. Teal reacted with a series of squeaks, she recognized Arcee as her mother by her scent and voice. After a minute, Teal had fallen asleep. Arcee looked around, seeing that she and Teal were alone; the femme allowed herself to relax. She checked on Teal one last time before closing her eyes.

Two days later…

"At least the rain stopped," Bulkhead pointed out.

"Yeah, makes the job easier." Miko agreed.

"You two find anything?" Jack asked.

"Nope, not even a foot print." Bulkhead sighed.

"Come'on, let's keep looking." Jack insisted.

"Uh, Jack we've been at this for two days… think we should take a break?" Bumblebee asked.

The six friends were looking in a rural area outside of Jasper. Since the thunderstorm had blown over, they were able to go further out as they continued their search.

"My feet are killing me." Said Raf.

"All right, let me ask you something… which one of you wants to be the one to tell Ratchet that something may have happened to Arcee and their baby? " Jack asked.

At that moment, Bulkhead, Miko and the others stood there and didn't say anything. If they didn't find Arcee and her daughter, neither of them wanted to be given the task of telling Ratchet what happened. So far, they hadn't received a call from him or the rest of the team.

"That's what I thought, now c'mon." said Jack as he went on ahead.

"Oy, I just hope Arcee's all right." Bulkhead said to the others as they started following Jack.

"Eh, she's pretty resourceful… I'm sure she can handle it." Miko pointed out.

Handle it was an understatement, back in the cavern, Arcee was still trying to figure out how to contact the team. After two days, she knew she couldn't wait any longer for them to find her. Stepping outside, she tried to call on her comm device.

"Bulkhead, it's Arcee, listen I'm stuck out here without any way to get back…" she groaned in frustration at hearing static.

"Great," she muttered. Arcee found out her bike was low on gas and the bridge she had crossed on the way was closed for repairs due to the storm. She walked back to the cavern and checked on Teal. Although she was now only two days old, Arcee had formed a strong mother/daughter bond with her. She also noticed Teal had a lightning bolt shaped birthmark on left arm.

"With a mark like this I'll always be able to recognize you." Said Arcee.

She looked at the enterand of the cavern and thought about her firneds.

"I hope Jack and the others are looking for us."

Arcee was then alerted by Teal whimpering and pressing her mouth against her chest. Realizing what her daughter was trying to tell her, Arcee lowered the left sleeve on her shirt and brought Teal closer to her. Besides getting back home, Arcee had another problem.

"Don't worry, once we're out of here and I find something, I'll have milk to feed you." She said to Teal.

"Just…be patient."

Arcee felt uneasy as Teal continued to nurse, trying to get as much milk as she could from her mother. While Arcee could go without food or water for a day or so, Teal couldn't and having a bag of trail mix plus a protein bar wasn't going to work. She half smiled at her daughter as she suckled.

"What am I gonna do?" Arcee asked herself.

As soon as Teal finished and fell asleep, Arcee left the cavern.

"I better make it short, she'll be scared out of her mind if she wakes up and I'm not there."

Arcee tried hard to find an alternate route to get back to Jasper but so far wasn't having any success. Near a creek she spotted some tracks and followed them. The tracks stopped at what looked like a camp site.

"Oh good, someone else is up here; maybe they have a cellphone I can barrow to call Jack."

Arcee froze when she heard a familiar voice.

"Stupid bush, get out of my way!"

Arcee quickly hid behind a pine tree. She groaned realizing it was Starscream.

"It just had to be 'Cons."

In an attempt to keep quiet, Arcee tried to be careful about where she stepped. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a twig snapped under her shoe.

"What was that?" Starscream asked.

"Eh, it was probably just a squrriel." Said Breakdown.

Arcee was about to run when Starscream darted out in front of her.

"Still think so, Breakdown?"

"Hiya guys…" Arcee said nervously.

While she wasn't normally intimidated by Starscream, he did tower over her in height. He also scruffy charcoal black hair, cherry red eyes and light complexion.

"Save it!" Starscream snapped as he brushed off some rosemary off his dark grey jacket.

"So, where's Bulkhead ?" Breakdown asked.

"Who wants to know ?" Arcee replied.

"Hey, I'm the one asking questions." Breakdown growled.

Being around six foot-two, with a tan complexion and bright yellow eyes, being this close to Breakdown would've made anyone nervous, Arcee included. Unlike Starscream, he did take the time to run a comb through his short onyx black hair which had white around the tips.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Arcee asked.

"None of your business," Starscream replied.

"I take it the rest of your team and human pals are around here somewhere." Breakdown assumed.

Arcee swallowed hard.

"Well… um… huh, what an unsual place to put a piano."

Starscream and Breakdown frowned.

"Piano?" Starscream wondered and looked away towards some bushes.

"I don't see any…" Breakdown trailed off when he noticed Arcee was gone.

"Hey! Where'd she go?"

Arcee ran through the tree lined path as fast as she could. Having given birth two days ago, she was still recovering. The femme knew if she stopped or even fell, Starscream and Breakdown would catch her for sure. She laughed for a minute.

"Can't believe they fell for that one. Who would put a piano in the middle of a forest?"

"Good question," said a voice.

Arcee stopped and froze when she saw the two people she had been running from.

"You can't get rid of us that easily," Breakdown told her.

"In that case, you'll have to catch me first!" said Arcee before she bolted.

After a while she started to pant, although she had a head start, Arcee knew it was only a matter of time before Breakdown and Starscream caught up with her. She then noticed a dry riverbed up a head. Getting an idea she headed straight for it and hid under a hallow log.

"She went this way! " Breakdown shouted.

He and Starscream came to a stop when they lost track of Arcee. Breakdown scratched his head, obviously confused.

"I thought she went this way."

"Now what ?" Starscream asked.

"She couldn't have gone far, let's get moving." Said Breakdown who went towards the northern end of the forest with Starscream not far behind. Once she was sure they were gone, Arcee climbed out of her hiding place.

"That was a close one," she said to herself and headed back to the cavern, making sure to cover her tracks along the way.

She arrived a few minutes later and checked on Teal. Her newborn daughter was still asleep. Arcee smiled and stroked Teal's soft hair.

"At least I'm away from those two."

No sooner did she finish her sentence, Arcee heard someone talking outside the cavern.

"She went this way, I'm sure of it; look at all these tracks." Said Starscream.

Arcee nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Not again… they can't find Teal."

Arcee let out a loud sigh.

"I'll have to distract them."

She looked over at her daughter. Arcee knew Teal would probably be up again in another two hours wanting to be fed. This would give her enough time to distract Starscream and Breakdown and get them out of the way. Arcee kissed Teal's forehead and stroked her hair.

"I'll be back, I promise." Arcee whispered.

She grabbed her backpack and headed for the cave entrance. Looking over she shoulder, Arcee smiled for a brief moment.

"I love you, Teal." She said before walking outside.

As soon as she stepped out, Breakdown spotted her almost instantly.

"There she is!" he shouted.

At that moment, Arcee took off running.

"I sure hope this works." She said to herself.

"Don't lose her!" Starscream yelled as he and Breakdown chased after her.

Half an hour later, things were still quiet in the cavern but it didn't last long. Teal whimpered when she felt cool air on her skin. Being only two days old, she couldn't regulate her body temperature yet and depended on Arcee to keep her warm. After a while she became restless and let out a full fledged cry. Though Arcee was too far to hear her, someone else did. Walking along the trail were two other Decepticons. One of them was a female with semi long ebony black hair, tomato red eyes and fair skin tone. Near her eyes were a few freckles. She also wore a magenta and black striped long sleeve shirt and dark gray jeans. The other one with her was a red head with cherry colored eyes and had a lighter complexion. He straighted the collar of his barn red jacket that he wore over a light grey t-shirt. Though the dark blue jeans and white nikes were sensible, the silver belt buckle with a mustang on the front was too much.

"So I told him, if that window breaks again I'm not fixing it." Said Knockout.

"What'd he say?" the female, Drag-Strip asked as she stopped to shake some rocks out of her black sketchers sneakers.

"You know Soundwave, he doesn't say a word to anyone." Knockout replied.

"Eh, why am I not surprised ?" said Drag-Strip.

Unlike Knockout, Drag-Strip had what sounded like a somewhat thick British accent.

She paused when she heard a noise.

"Did you hear that ?" she asked.

Knockout frowned.

"Hear what

"Quiet!" Drag-Strip told him and listened.

She could hear a few faint cries not far from where she and Knockout were standing.

"I think it's coming from over here,"

The two of them went into the direction of where the noise came from and stopped in front of the cavern.

" There's something in here, I'm gonna go check it out." Drag-Strip said before she entered the cavern.

"Drag-Strip, come back!" Knockout shouted.

He waited for a minute and was about to go after her when he saw Drag-Strip walking out. Knockout raised an eyebrow when he saw she was holding something.

"What have you got there ?" he asked.

"What do you think, Knockout?" she replied.

He looked down and saw Teal who was resting in her arms. As soon as she was picked up and felt Drag-Strip's body heat, she had gone back to sleep.

"So, that's what we heard."

Drag-Strip nodded.

"I guess someone left her there."

"Well, I hope her parents come back soon. Let's go." Said Knockout.

"Knockout, c'mon we just can't leave her out here." Drag-Strip pointed out.

Knockout sighed, she did have a point. He glanced at Teal who yelped in her sleep; her limbs also twitched. It was obvious she was dreaming.

"Let's take her back to the Nemesis. We'll keep an eye on her until we figure out what to do next." He explained.

"All right… Her parents are probably looking for her right now." said Drag-Strip

"Just don't let Starscream see her," Knockout told her.

"Oh, I won't," Drag-Strip replied.

The last thing they needed was for Starscream to see what they had found on their hike and then spill the beans to Megatron. Keeping secrets wasn't exactly something Starscream was good at. Although Drag-Strip was known for having a short temper, she did have a gentle side. Despite their reputation, it wasn't uncommon for a female Decepticon to care for offspring that was not related to her. Drag-Strip couldn't help but smile when she looked at Teal. The female Decepticon's maternal instincts had started to kick in. Knockout looked over his shoulder and noticed the smile on Drag-Strip's face.

She glanced at Knockout, both startled and confused.

"What is it ?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing." Knockout replied and grinned nervously.

Drag-Strip gave him a suspicious look.

"Right then, let's get going."

An hour later an exhausted Arcee had returned to the cavern. She had managed to drive Breakdown and Starscream away from the area and protect her daughter. After catching her breath Arcee went in the cavern. She knew by now, Teal would probably be up.

"I'm here," she said.

"Teal?"

Arcee raised an eyebrow when she didn't hear anything.

"That's weird."

She went up to the spot where she had left her daughter and gasped at what she saw.

"Teal?! She's… she's gone!" Arcee sputtered.

Collapsing on the cave floor, she sniffled, taking in the small traces of Teal's scent.

"I came back… I came back."

Arcee laid there for a few minutes and sobbed, she couldn't believe her daughter, who was only two days old was gone. Tears ran down the side of her face and hit the ground forming a small puddle. She sniffled before getting up.

"I'll find you, Teal. No matter what, I promise you." Said Arcee.

She placed her hand on the floor of the cavern where Teal was last before getting up and leaving.

Sometime later, Jack, Miko and the others called off their search. They searched the area surrounding Jasper but didn't have any success in finding their lost friend. June was at work and unable to help out that day. As they walked back into the main room at Headquarters, they thought about what to do next.

"Well, guess we've got no choice." Jack sighed before sitting down on the couch.

"So… who's gonna tell Ratchet ?" Rafael asked before pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"I'll do it," Bulkhead offered.

"But Bulkhead," Red Alert started to say.

"Relax Red, It's no big deal." Bulkhead assured her.

While they were apprehensive, the six of them knew they'd have to break the news to Ratchet sooner or later.

"If ya say so," Bumblebee sighed.

Just then, he heard the sound of a certain motorcycle engine.

"What the…?"

He turned around looking towards the exit. Jack, Miko, Raf and the others heard the noise as well.

"Is that?" Miko wondered.

Moments later a familiar colbalt blue motocycle and its owner entered the room.

"Arcee!" Raf exclaimed happily.

"You're back!" Jack said before he went to greet her followed by everyone else.

Arcee got off her bike, removing her helmet and brushing back her hair. He ran up to the femme and hugged her.

"What happened?" he asked as he let go.

"We were worried about you." Said Red Alert.

"Yeah, you didn't call or anything." Bumblebee pointed out.

"I was out of range, that's why." Said Arcee.

"That explains a lot." Raf continued.

"Point is, you're back." Said Red Alert.

"I'm glad to see you guys but…" Arcee trailed off.

"But what?" Miko asked.

Arcee sighed.

"There's something I need to tell you."

She walked over to the couch, Jack, Raf and the others followed. Arcee had tears in her eyes; she knew what she had to say wouldn't be easy but at the same time, they needed to know what happened.

"Oh brother," Bulkhead sighed.

"This can't be good." Said Miko.

From the looks of it, whatever they were about to hear didn't sound like good news.


	2. Chapter 2

Arcee looked down at the floor and she wished she could just sink right into it. A tear dripped down her face before a flood of them followed. She couldn't get passed the fact that Teal, her one and only daughter, was gone...

"What happened?" Red Alert whispered in a soothing tone. She placed a hand on Arcee's shoulder which caused several tears to rain down.

Arcee's voice cracked out into a hoarse whisper. "Teal is gone..."

"Who's Teal?" Red asked calmly, relying on her voice to change the mood.

"My daughter."

Everyone in the room froze.

"Wait… you don't mean… but you were due next week…" Jack said.

"I know, but… she came earlier than my estimated date." Arcee replied.

"I didn't think much of it..." Finally finding the courage Arcee thought was buried deep within came bubbling up. "After you guys left I thought I shouldn't just laze around, so I took up my bike and went for a ride." Arcee smiled at the thought of Teal.

"While I was out, I suddenly felt my contractions take over so I had to stop and find shelter due to the rain. I tried to comm you guys but I was out of range." She took a breath before continuing.

"After a few hours I… I gave birth..." She smiled through the layer of tears that brushed her cheeks. " Oh, you should've seen her… She was so beautiful."

"I was afraid you'd notice I was gone but…at the same time I hoped you all would find me. Couple of days later I went scouting, looking for a quick way home…"

"Then what?" Bulkhead asked.

"Starscream and Breakdown happened… I managed to distract them but when I went back to check up on Teal, I heard them again. Once I led them away from the cavern… I came back for her only to find that she was gone..." Arcee finally looks up to glance at the gathering crowd.

"D-don't worry, Arcee! We can find Teal." Bumblebee says reassuringly which causes Arcee to nod her head.

"I hope so..." She stares out to look at the open window while the sun pokes it's bright yellow rays in. Fear took over her... the thought of not knowing where her little girl was, scared the new mother out of her mind.

"Wow, that was a long story." Said Miko after a minute of silence.

She, Bulkhead and the rest of the group listened as Arcee explained what had happened.

The femme sniffled.

"I have no idea who or what took her. I searched the area for an hour before coming back here."

"I'm… really sorry to hear that, Arcee. If there's anything we can do…" Jack started to say.

"Yeah, we can help you find her." Bulkhead offered.

Arcee looked up.

"Really?"

"Sure," was Bulkhead's reply.

"Even though I was dumb for going out on my own?" Arcee continued.

"We'll discuss that later, right now we need to find out just what happened to Teal." Said Red Alert.

"Right, so where do we start?" Raf asked.

Arcee smiled briefly before she went on to give the group the location of the cavern. Shortly after, she stood up.

"I-I need to lie down..." Arcee stuttered, suddenly felt sick to the stomach.

She then left and headed towards her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh man… this is gonna be ugly…" Bulkhead groaned.

"What are we going to say to Ratchet?" Miko asked, looking at the others.

Meanwhile, Knockout and Dragstrip had managed to get back on board the Nemesis without anyone noticing their 'souvenir'.

"Think anyone saw us?" Dragstrip asked.

Knockout shut the door to the medical bay behind him.

"No, everyone's gone to lunch so we should be all right. For now at least." He said.

"Oh, good." Dragstrip sighed, feeling somewhat relieved.

She glanced at Teal who was still asleep.

"Now the main priority is keeping this whole thing quiet." Said Knockout.

No sooner did he finish his sentence, Teal began to whimper and stretch her limbs.

"She's waking up." Dragstrip pointed out.

"Now?! Oh great…" Knockout groaned.

Teal slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the person holding her smelled different. It was nothing like Arcee. Teal looked up and saw Dragstrip's face. Yelping in fear ,she struggled to get out of the female Decepticon's arms. Immediately, Dragstrip tried to calm Teal down; the last thing she needed was for someone to hear the newborn crying.

"It's ok, little one…" Dragstrip said softly.

She pulled Teal closer in effort to keep her quiet. Within seconds, Teal stopped whimpering.

"I'll take care of you." Dragstrip assured her and gently stroked Teal's soft hair.

Teal looked at her, not sure how to react. While she knew this wasn't her mother but at the same time, the female Decepticon's voice did sound sincere. She curled up, placing her head on Dragstrip's chest. Hearing her heartbeat made her relax. Dragstrip smiled as she glanced at Teal. Knockout had been watching the whole thing and didn't say a word. Until now.

"How'd you get her to do something like that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dragstip shrugged her shoulders.

"I… don't know, just being nice to her I suppose."

Dragstrip then noticed Teal grab her left index finger, staring at it with curiosity.

"Knockout, did you see that?"

"Sure did." He said.

Dragstrip couldn't help but laugh.

"She has a pretty strong grip."

"Look, before we get too carried away I think we should find out just where she came from…"

Dragstrip sighed before pulling her free hand away from Teal.

"Oh, ok… but hey, I don't mind if nobody answers." She admitted.

"I'll make a note of that." Said Knockout before he left.

1 week later…

The group had gone back to the cavern where Teal was born and searched the surrounding areas. They had been out there every day for the last week hoping to find her. So far, they weren't having any success.

"Well, any sign of her?" Arcee asked.

"Nope," said Jack who had walked back after searching under some bushes.

"We've looked." Bulkhead answered.

"And looked…" Miko added.

"But there's… no sign of Teal anywhere." Said Raf.

"Sorry 'Cee." Bumblebee apologized.

Arcee sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"C'mon… we've got to keep searching." She insisted and walked ahead of the group.

"She's taking this pretty hard." Said Red Alert.

"Yeah…" Bulkhead agreed.

"I know how she feels, if something happened to Jack I wouldn't stop looking either." Said June who came to help out.

Just then, they were alerted by the sound of static.

Bulkhead tapped the comm device in his ear.

"Hello?"

"Bulkhead, this is Ratchet…"

"Oh, hey Doc… h-how's it going?" Bulkhead sputtered.

"Fine, listen… we managed to drive the Decepticons out of the area. The fires have been put out so we're on our way home." Ratchet explained.

"That's great…listen Ratchet, there's something we gotta tell you…" said Bulkhead

"Can't talk now, we'll be there in an hour." Ratchet said before hanging up.

"Oy…" Bulkhead groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What is it?" Raf asked.

"Ratchet and the rest of the team are on their way back…" Bulkhead answered.

"I better go tell Arcee." He sighed and went to talk to her.

"This is gonna be ugly." said Miko.

"You said it," Jack and Raf replied at the same time.


End file.
